Arrow Rock earns federal honor for preservation efforts

Groups involved in historic preservation in Arrow Rock have a new place to go for help with education and marketing efforts.
The village was named a Preserve America Community, which opens the door to federal funding for preservation work.

Kathy Borgman, executive director of the non-profit Friends of Arrow Rock, said she was pleased with the designation.

“I think it’s a really excellent program that recognizes communities that have a strong historic preservation component,”she said.

The historic site, one of 600 nationwide chosen, earned the federal designation for its commitment to historic preservation.

“Preserve America Communities demonstrate that they are committed to preserving America’s heritage while ensuring a future filled with opportunities for learning and enjoyment,” said first lady Laura Bush, honorary chairwoman of the initiative, in a written statement.

The designation allows the community to apply for federal grants, awards, and other support through the two-year-old initiative for research, planning, parketing, interpretation and training efforts.

According to its Web site, the initiative awarded $5 million in grants in 2007, and $7.8 million is available this year. Designated communities can apply for grants of $20,000 to $150,000.

Borgman said that becasue they are matching grants, it would likely take some time for the organizations in Arrow Rock to raise enough money to be able to apply.

“We’ll be working toward that,” she said.

Borgman said Friends of Arrow Rock helped the village board of trustees apply for the designation over the last year.
“We applied this spring. We worked on it all last year, and we have known about it and had it in the works,” she said. The application was submitted this spring, and Arrow Rock was awarded the designation in April.

“We found out about the program through a state program,” Borgman said, which had similar eligibility requirements to Preserve America.

“We have about 40 communities in the state ... that actually have real strong preservation components, so it’s creating a network out there statewide, and now nationally, of a real core group of preservationists,” she said.

Themoney available through Preserve America will not pay for physical preservation efforts, but is aimed at creating systems to support preservation  once the physical work is complete, she said.

The preservation groups in Arrow Rock have started a task force, Borgman said, which will work toward a marketing plan for the village.
“Once we have ...  a plan, then we will have a good place to go to and apply,” she said.

agualtieri@sedaliademocrat.com